So, we’re doing it again. Bettin’ on the ponies.

The Bet started two years ago as a wager between myself, Catherine Ryan Hyde, Kimberly Pauley, and Andrew Smith. It was based on a story I read about Stephen King wagering on sports with his son where the loser had to write a short story from a title supplied by the winner. This sounded fun. So I put out the call on Twitter to see if other authors were interested and three brave souls stepped forward. We settled on betting on the Kentucky Derby.

No money changes hands. Only story titles. The losers spend the next month crafting stories around a title not of their own choosing while the winner gets to…I don’t know….gloat? (Some, like Catherine, think that the winner is a loser because they don’t have to write a story. The amount I agree with her is inversely proportional to how many deadlines I’m on at the time of the Derby.)

The horses selected this year are:

Catherine:  It’s My Lucky Day

Kimberly: Fear the Kitten

Andrew:  Oxbow

Brian: Revolutionary

We write the stories and then make them available for free. Links to previous short stories can be found here and here.

Check back after the Derby on May 3 for a list of the titles we’re inflicting on each other. Then give us a month for a new batch of stories. As always, it promises to be a hoot.

PS–All my writing friends have new books out (or about to be out). You should give them a gander:

Still Sucks to be Me…Even in Paris by Kimberly Pauley

Always Chloe and Other Stories by Catherine Ryan Hyde

Winger by Andrew Smith